All Chapters of Ice In His Veins: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The drive down the mountain took four hours. The roads were very bad, packed with snow and ice, the car crawling along the edge of cliffs that dropped into white nothing. The driver did not speak. He just kept his eyes on the road and his hands tight on the wheel. Sebastian sat in the back seat, Julian's hand in his. Neither of them had said much since they left the cabin. The silence was not uncomfortable. It was the silence of two people who had said everything that needed to be said and were now just waiting. Julian stared out the window, watching the trees blur past. His thumb traced slow circles on Sebastian's knuckles. "What are you thinking about?" Sebastian asked. Julian did not look away from the window. "I am thinking about my father's face when he sees us together. In public. Where everyone can see." "He already knows." "Knowing and seeing are different." Sebastian squeezed his hand. "Then let him see. Let everyone see. I am done hiding." Julian turned to look at h

The press conference was over.But Richard Frost was not done.Sebastian spent the morning after the press conference avoiding his phone. The messages were endless. Some supportive. Some cruel. Most just curious. He wanted to hide in the apartment with Julian and pretend the outside world opinion did not matter or exist.But Julian was already awake, sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop open, his face pale."Sebastian. You need to see this."Sebastian walked over and looked at the screen. It was a sports business website. The headline made his stomach drop.Richard Frost Launches Hostile Takeover Bid for Vancouver Storm.Below it, a picture of Richard smiling. Like he had already won.Sebastian sat down hard on the chair. "What is this?"Julian's voice was quiet. "My father is trying to buy your team.""I can see that. But how? Why now?""Because he wants to control you. He wants to punish you for taking me away from him. And he wants to prove that he is more powerful than bot

The game was against Seattle. Sebastian was on the ice, focused, trying to ignore the whispers from the crowd. Some fans still cheered for him. Others booed. He had learned to block it out and focus only on his game. Julian was on the bench, waiting for his shift. His knee had been bothering him all week, but he had hidden it. Wrapped it tight. Taken painkillers before every practice. Told Sebastian he was fine. But he was not. The pain had been getting worse for months now. The doctor's warning echoed in his head. If you keep playing, you risk permanent damage. But Julian could not stop. Not now. Not with the merger vote looming. Not with his father watching.His shift came. He jumped over the boards and skated to his position. The puck moved fast and Julian chased it into the corner, he planted his left leg to turn, and felt something snap. The pain was instant and blinding, it was so painful and unbearable that he didn'tknow when he scremed.He collapsed on the ice immediately,

The apartment was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.Julian sat on the couch, his leg stretched out on a pillow, a stack of papers spread across the coffee table. His laptop was open beside him, the screen filled with spreadsheets and scanned documents and photographs of files he had taken years ago. He had been working for hours, organizing, cross-referencing, building the case.His knee ached. The physical therapy had helped, but sitting in one position for too long made it stiff. He ignored the pain and kept typing.Sebastian came in from the kitchen with two mugs of coffee. He set one in front of Julian and sat down beside him."You have been at this all day," Sebastian said."Almost there.""Almost where?"Julian looked up. His eyes were tired but bright. "Almost ready to destroy him."Sebastian set down his mug and looked at the papers. Bank statements. Email printouts. Photographs of documents. Witness statements typed up on clean white pages. There were so many that they

The news broke on a Monday morning.Sebastian was at practice when his phone started buzzing continously. He ignored it at and focused on the drill, the ice, the rhythm of the game. But the buzzing did not stop. Louie skated over and tapped his shoulder."Cap. Your phone has been ringing for ten minutes non stop, it might be very important."Sebastian skated to the bench. He pulled his phone out of his bag. Forty-seven messages. Twelve missed calls from his agent, his lawyer, his mom and julian.He called Julian first."Sebastian." Julian's voice was tight. "Turn on the TV. Any channel."Sebastian walked to the locker room. He turned on the small screen mounted on the wall.Richard Frost was standing at a podium. His face was calm, controlled. But his eyes were wild."My son has been manipulated," Richard said. "He is not in his right mind. He has been led astray by someone who wants to destroy our family."Sebastian's blood went cold."I am asking the league to investigate Sebastian